analytical soil

thinking of many things to say about this trip. i was blown away by the magnitude of acceptance. i really have thought a lot of how europeans would accept the fact that some americans, more importantly texans, would come over to belgium and save it. well maybe not those exact words because who are we kidding here, texans aren't going to save anyone but themselves, right? i was thinking about this and it was important to me not to have any "dude with a tude" type of mentality to think i had what europe needs. i know i am not going to BRING jesus to belgium, because he is already there. i believe awareness is the key. this is, actually, what our focus was this trip. as i was returning home i was concentrating on the report brought back to the states. it means everything to our future. i want to be the spy who brings back the good report of the land about to be invaded. jeff serio said it right that it will be similar to plowing concrete but whatever analogy you want to use something is ready and needing to happen or break or whatever. so allow me to be one of the spies who brings the report of the harvest in europe.

1. it's ready

while ministering in the conference the team and i were able to pretty much prophecy over everyone in our workshops. even with a dismissal (the workshop was technically over) the young minds and hearts were there and still engaged. this tells me something. one of the many observations made was of the young person who wanted to cry, sing out, laugh, or pray, but was noticeably judging the effect of such an action. it makes me wonder if there has been a legitimate scolding from spiritual authority or if this is just the natural occurrence of a generation who has not been feeding their soul it's "proper" nourishment. it's hard to admit this for me, seeing as i like to find the root issue in dysfunction, but it doesn't matter. and i think the adversary would enjoy those investing their time in the harvest of europe to run in circles trying to find out which came first the chicken or the egg! but the truth is that work is needed, and laborers are few. where are the laborers in the land now? they are there. or the one's that made the first wave are there still but are strangely aimless. i am not sure why, and i am definitely not judging their work. they laid a seed bed that will be harvested by future harvesters. maybe that is ninth hour, maybe that is you, maybe that is someone in the future, i am not certain at this point. there is a remnant and the desire is there, or the desire to blossom and bring to fruition is there and the harvest is unable to continue in its growth because like a rose pedal it must be cut and pruned in order to grow again in greater proportion. that is how i view the current state in europe or more specifically belgium.

2. it's cancerous

as insensitive as that word may be it provides the shocking idea of the flow of these small cells i would like to refer to as the remaining remnant. even within the conference, i noticed the cancerous possibility of a group of young people who could mobilize their efforts to gain divine momentum. make no mistake, there are those in europe who are hungry and are praying. possibly what they have been praying and seeking god for is what ninth hour comes to bring. it would be very arrogant for me to really say that, but to believe it in my heart and mind is another story. i was approached by a few, who had heard, that there was a house of prayer being started in brussels and they had expressed much interest in helping and being apart. these individuals were not just teenagers but young and old alike. talk about exciting! i see it starting as awkward 2 hour intimate prayer and worship meetings with individuals who are only linked by a common desire to see god move in belgium. growing from this, i envision individual experiences that are hardly containable to our little prayer gathering.

3. it's undefinable

i mean this in the strictest sense that there is a deep, deep drive to pursue the harvest, yet all strategies remain divinely appointed. while we had meetings with key figures the common question was "how are you going to do this?" i wonder if others who have since left and been successful have been able to mark key strategies and define it as absolute. i wouldn't think anyone would have the guts to say, if successful, that they are were they are because they had some great ideas or it was because of them. i hope my point is getting across. ninth hour's hunger is there. i hunger for what i am unable to see at this point in belgium and beyond but i am sure for anything to happen it must start with "no-bodies" and end just the same. i think this particular "undefinable" characteristic is synonymous with the generations represented. this is what is so amazing about how god has moved so richly for the generations at our church and this deep seeded passion has not left those members of ninth hour. nathan received a word from the lord on the way to belgium concerning this generational involvement. it was concerning what joel had said about the old men dreaming dreams and the young men with vision. i am paraphrasing but it went like this...the old men dream dreams, and without the old men dreaming those dreams the young men CANNOT carry vision, and our purpose is to provide service and vision to those in the land of belgium who have longed and dreamed for revolution, we will lose the vision if we don't serve the older generation's dreams. it was great because our meetings all contained men AND women who are well established in their faith in god and are so ready for this to happen and are so ready to support us as we come to serve those things they have had on their hearts for a very long time. i believe ultimately god desires and WILL appoint those who are not in it to make an impression for their name. you can try and build huge crusades and monumental conferences while getting amazing speakers but i don't think that is for belgium. a contrite and humble heart is a better approach.

i am not desiring to make a model and dissect it to gain a marketing tool for success. most, if not everything, will happen i believe as suddenly as "a sound like a rushing wind" passing through our midst. change will happen, change will occur and if i am to be the one to help push this along then great (however, my heart is anxious to do so) but if not then lord may it come and may it come quickly.

cj 2009

my desires were simple...make an impact that will not part at the doors but be a plant that produces fruit. i hope, in my thinking and understanding, that this fruit would be manifested and ready quickly. realistically, or ideally, when a plant has been surrounded by weeds for so long and the choking of truth has been so prevalent, the labor is intense. i'm determined, however, and my heart had quickly gained a burden it needed to release within the few days we (nathan, jon v., al) had been able to minister at this gathering of young people. the set up of all the equipment was no less important in our desire to touch this generation and grab a hold of them. one major drawback was that our wives were not present with us this year and all three of them have a keen eye for decor. i really missed my wife liz on this trip and knew as i lay in bed praying for her every night that she was not meant to minister in another environment than i. i always knew this but oh, how the mind needs constant reminders of the wonders of god's direction through small little gaps in the every day flow of things.

my anticipation was that i would meet many on their level, at their experiences with life at the cj. i was hoping that every single young person would gain a life changing experience. my teaching reflected this hope.

day 1:

nathan and our good friend matt lankenau, from the ei in berlin taught in the workshop. their teachings focused on an awakened heart. i knew this is exactly what god was speaking to me as well as stirring it in me before i set foot on the land. in my perspective, being awakened, or not being awakened, is not a sin. however, there is a natural consequence to not having a focus on god's heart and what the spirit is saying...because it constantly is, or doing...because it constantly is. i think the natural inclination is that of satisfaction of our soul's longing. we, as a generation and culture, are neck deep and saturated in alternative cures and fulfillments. because of our saturation a change from the inside out is required. we couldn't, even in our own strength combat the principalities and darkness in the first place without the same spirit that was present in jesus and raised him from the dead.

day 2:

al and i spoke and my key point was a change that educated us to drink from the living well of god's unchanging love so that our purpose, identity, and joy will be able to respond well, whether our life's circumstances are going great or not. before i spoke, the day earlier, i had struck up a conversation with a young teen (16/17) about where she was from and what she wanted to get from the conference. we began discussing the gospel and i asked her how many of her friends serve jesus as she does. she could not name one. shocking yet real. i noticed a problem with her legs as she came in and sat down. this issue forces her to walk with crutches to brace herself. i asked her if anyone has prayed over her, and when the last time she prayed over herself. she answered back that it has been years. she couldn't even remember. she told me that she had surgery on her legs and that the doctors messed up and it resulted in this lifelong trauma. needless to say i was crushed. i had no idea what to say or ask, so i said, "why do you think god has not healed you yet?" she responded, "i don't have enough faith." i was heartbroken and knew that the enemy had fed her this lie to distract her from god's undivided love for her. i told her that was a lie and that god wanted her healed. i encouraged her that even though we may not see change on the outside, god most definitely is doing something, it just may be on the inside. she teared up and then confessed to bitterness and anger at the doctors. she also confessed to unforgiveness and bitterness towards god for not doing anything about it. i know god is far my concerned with the condition of her heart, but how do you reveal that to someone in such a condition without coming off as insensitive? this is the condition of millions of young people alike, across europe. individuals who are harboring a cold, bitter, and unforgiving heart, who are far more satisfied with the "slavery in egypt" than the "liberation of the cross" through sanctification in the promised land. meanwhile, i knew god was doing something on the inside of her as we had the whole team and those in our workshop lay hands on her and pray. the next day at the night service, her countenance was far greater. i walked up to her on the front row before the service began and could tell immediately by the divine joy, represented by a smile bigger than the theory of relativity, that god was doing his work in her heart. i asked her how she felt in her legs, she had almost completely forgotten about her physical ailment. her issues with her legs were not a hindrance in her worship to her god. he will bring glory to his name through the healing in her heart, and the healing in her legs. praise god for his transformation that is not limited to, or manifested only in physical healing. this was confirmation of the word god had given me in our workshop teachings about god's interest in being the satisfaction of our soul's craving. make no mistake, our soul longs and craves. without an understanding of what or why our soul's long and that the fulfillment is only in their creator our souls will continue to ache and we will search for gratification. sadly, we choose to quench the craving by focusing or honing in on seasonal gratification that lasts only a little while. the living water of christ is such that it provides refreshment and satisfaction for the longing of the soul, for a lifetime.

siloam towers

as i dive into the call to repent (luke 13) i am struck with the idea that circumstances are not but consequences (good or bad) of the actions of humanity influencing the world in which we ALL live.

humans and go(o)d things

i have taken in some opinions and i am trying to process them out in a concise manner that is consistent with what i think the bible is teaching its readers. on one hand i hear the argument, when something goes wrong, "your faith should not be determined by your circumstances." has anyone heard this? i have my whole life. a close relative that dies, a spouse who finds love in another's arms, an accident that proves to be life-altering, these all are followed by some form of a christian approach of counsel for the victim of said tragedies to not put their faith in god based on their circumstances. i believe this idea to my core; stand firm to apply it in my trials and tribulations. however, for the sake of thought, i have heard an idea from an individual who wondered about when things go right. when things are all going great, or an amazing incident takes place in your favor is it not appropriate to state or hold to the same belief that your faith should not change with your circumstances? does it make god or prove him to be more faithful if things go your way?

i think i could make the case for an exception to the rule in the event that things work towards your favor.

god is good alone - luke 18:19

god causes things to work for good - romans 8:28

every good thing is from heaven - james 1:7

these are some of the scriptures that would reinforce the notion that you could make an exception, for god's doing, to declare that faith could be determined by circumstances. but the only problem is dealing with creation. we are not individuals who are able to hold onto absolutes reasonably. i had mentioned the case with homosexuality in one of the previous posts and the still remaining controversy with many, who are very well educated, as to what is the determinant of homosexuality? genetic or choice? an absolute in this scenario is never going to be found. why? humans are the researchers; humans are the validators. how about the notion that god doesn't reveal everything about your life to you. not so he can withhold but rather so he can protect you from yourself (the end result is proven to be very valuable). i would like to think that even in the midst of a great bonus at work, and on the other hand losing a very desired position or job would not allow your faith to fluctuate in the least. paul says it very well in 2 timothy 2:13, that even if we are faithless, he (god) remains faithful. why? he (god) cannot deny himself. eternally sound, eternally right, eternally good, and eternally faithful without wavering; god is and was the only absolute to stand on. regardless of the circumstances that may or may not have occurred because of the fallen world and our sinful nature.

quite possibly god uses inconsistencies to rouse a curiosity. only to later reveal himself as creator of truth. when we cease to search, and we retain our unmitigated view we don't adopt an unconditional love/regard as divine as our maker's. what happens in its stead is a spirit of pride which stunts the growth of our understanding giving birth to idolatry. for example, as a result, we witness a great deal of discrimination towards individuals who are up to their necks in perversion and become the object of disgust instead of objects of unconditional love. all due to those who hold to the absolute. "learning to distinguish when ideas are actually incompatible versus when they are only incompatible in appearance but possibly harmonious at a deeper level is a difficult but essential reasoning skill for the christian thinker" (psychology and christianity, 257).

humans have a way of pressing their opinion or perspective. my dad's way is usually on a saturday morning family breakfast, or a simple text message in the middle of a work day. like today, for example, he texted me that i have a great deal of baseball cards in his attic that could be put on ebay for sale. when you find yourself alone with my papa he will most likely throw a curve ball of a revelation he got during a quiet time in his week. i am no different. this blog proves to be a sufficient medium for me. the recent quandary has led to my thinking of how we, as a church, present faith and its affects. i believe humans like revealing good things that have happened to gain approval or applause from their audience. believe me when something amazing happens liz is the first to know how good it makes me feel. can this be dangerous though? especially when it involves faith. x and y happened it makes me feel good, it must have been from god, right? or, a and b happened it makes me feel miserable it must not have been from god, right? (the idea that only bad came from god and good came from our doing can also appropriately be placed inside our thinking) or better yet, neither had anything to do with god in any shape or form. must we, as a church be careful in how we present ourselves to others when we experience something life changing? only because we, as people, tend to not remain faithful. a misunderstanding of how faith was involved in the circumstance, or a bad communication on how faith was influencing the circumstance could very well determine one's idea or perception of the level of faith based on the circumstance. "if i would have had enough faith" a and b would not have happened; "because i had enough faith" x and y happened. this is horrifically inconsistent with scripture. as paul states in philippians 4:11, "...for i have learned to be content in whatever circumstances i am." the amplified bible further states in the same passage, (phil. 4:12) "i have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation...having sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want." when things are rough and we share with others (the church) things are rough, it should get people to feel the same feeling. whatever feeling you get when things are rough. denying that feeling is not a good practice for a community who articulates their desire to create an atmosphere of warmth and honesty. likewise, when one feels the need to celebrate let us (the church) all share in the feeling of excitement and express however one may feel when they are excited. let us present our faith in a way that it doesn't change with our circumstance but that our faith changes our circumstance. after all, we find ourselves in troubled situations most likely due, although not entirely, to decisions we wish we could have back so to make the better choice. i am pretty sure anyone who preaches that god is around to keep you from bad things and only let you have good things is an individual who has never read the bible. at least the one i read (nas). does this change god's demeanor? no, he is good, and everything he gives is for his glory and our good to in return give him glory. ultimately we all contain idolatrous behavior. this behavior manifests itself in many forms and at many different times. the test is when you find something going right and somehow god is not given credit for it. however, when things fail miserably god is the receiver of our frustration and blame.

in conclusion we (humanity) cannot handle absolutes, as i have pointed out above. faith is done a severe injustice when it is placed inside a category of human certainty.

the woman who touches the fringe of jesus' garment was healed as jesus so gladly and willingly desired in luke 8:48.

"daughter your faith has made you well; go in peace."

the garment would not have been touched if she didn't have the faith. would she have pressed into the crowded group and been healed if she contained only hope? maybe. but in my experience hope doesn't get you past the door to go and meet with jesus and fight or press against the crowds. hope certainly does not give you an assurance that jesus is even your mediator who is able to make possible what has been for so long impossible. faith, on the other hand, is not only hope but an assurance of what you hoped to happen coming about. by this we change your circumstance regardless of its improbability. where did the woman gain this type of faith? it was not her who saved her but rather the healing power of god, right? it was not her who said "if only i could touch," as if she had the ability to set forth in motion such a healing. if you read in luke what had taken place prior to him coming into the town you might find how she gained such a faith. jesus, healing the man with a demon in the graveyard, set in motion her faith over hope. the faith came from an act of god therefore giving her confirmation of this wonderful jesus. so god, instituted it and god, ordained this faith in this woman which is how he will gain glory from anything or anyone in every circumstance. praise god that we are not meant to muster enough faith to see salvation, progressive sanctification, or even his glorious presence displayed on this earth. but, these no doubt help in our belief and our faith, right? maybe this happens to give you and give me an assurance that no matter who challenges the bible's legitimacy and text...god is faithful, true and just in all he does. that is where my faith shall rest, in his goodness, in his justice, and in his unwavering truth.

metasystemic

i am growing in experience in the therapeutic chair. i am NOT an expert and probably will never be an expert...i said probably (if you know me then you know there is still a great chance i think i will one day be an expert). but over the last few months i have desired to develop an approach that is consistent with scripture in the counseling room. despite what you (critics) think about one's approach to counseling, i have concluded that the mind that explores intelligence is a mind that gives glory to god in the highest form. i have made it important to my worldview to include, without sounding as new-agy as possible, the flow of body, mind, and soul as agents for the glorification of god's name. and so we are clear, i am talking about the god who is triunal in his nature and contains jesus as his son form. those who wish to lecture or initiate their ideology on life and exclude components, or dismiss them as non-essential to giving glory to god are further proof of the hypocrite they so quickly judge. so, in saying that, there is not one element of the three that is or should be less disciplined. they are all important for instruction, discipline, and reproof. the approaches i am aware of at this time are those that all share the same aim...giving god his glory. but the initial instruction on how to give god that said glory is where the approaches differ.

the levels model seems, in criticism, to place science at an ungodly level over the bible. however, the revelations of empirical research reveal a great deal of information that we simply do not receive from the bible. example, homosexuality and its nature. is it a genetic disposition or is it a choice, has always been the conundrum surrounding even the most faithful of the faith-filled.

the next one is a christian counseling point of view. this basically sees what modern psychology has done and says "yeah we know there is something there and so we should write a model that reflects christianity." meanwhile disputing all the humanistic foundations for modern psychology by revealing the writings of augustine, calvin, and those whom have been believers and cared for the soul long before freud and jung were around.

the integrations model is the approach that brings science and the bible together. it's basic premise is that science further reveals the truth and nature of the all powerful god. it is probably the most common method or approach used today in the faith based counseling circles.

the last one i am aware of at this point is the biblical based counseling method. most of which i find in my worldview comes from this approach. god's word uncovers the root of all issues that plague mankind on this earth. one of the criticisms of this method is that a great deal of these counselors are very neglectful of education outside the bible. they do not hold to the fact that you can create a counseling model that resembles a christian counseling approach that only reflects what humanists are saying with christian lingo. some may be familiar to the model known as nouthetic counseling developed by jay adams. this is the group described by those inside the biblical counseling model.

all that to say i am working towards a model that would find its text to be relevant to those who go to church every sunday, every day, or those who hate the church with a great passion. it is a great struggle to interpret to those individuals who do not grasp the bible, nor want to, the truth of their creator without using words from a bible. hopefully i will be able to write it out clearly on this medium once it is finalized. right now i am calling it word-action-faith model. again using language that communicates truth without using words from the bible is my biggest hurdle. but as tony romo once said "if this is the worst thing that will happen...i am doing ok."